Materials Recycling World21 August 2009

Nearly three quarters of new homes do not have enough space to recycle, according to survey results from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment.Of 2,500 private housing homeowners who were polled, 72 per cent said they do not have enough space to fit in three small bins required to recycle properly. CABE believed the results of Space in new homes: what residents think demonstrate that many of these homes a

Local Government Association environment board chair Paul Bettison will step down from his role at the end of this month and be replaced by councillor Gary Porter, the leader of South Holland District Council, with effect from 1 September. Bettison ends his three-year tenure as environment board cha

Biffa has announced its plans to build a cutting-edge energy recovery facility in Leicestershire that will be capable of powering 42,000 homes.As one of the three firms short-listed by Leicestershire County Council for the procurement of the contract to deal with the areas residual waste, Biffa intends to apply for planning consent this November.It is hoped the energy recovery facility, which could

Containers of the allegedly illegally exported UK waste found in Brazil are due to return back to Britain today (21 August). Of the 89 containers exported to Brazil, 71 have been brought back to the port of Felixstowe with the remaining containers due to return at a later date.The Environment Agency plans to fumigate the containers, which is expected to take a week. Once the containers have been analysed and evidence gathered the EA will ensure t

The British Retail Consortium has called on the Government to introduce a domestic appliance scrappage scheme similar to the car industry scrappage scheme in the UK.The BRC wants the Government to waive the 15 per cent VAT on white goods such as fridges and washing machines when customers trade up. The body claims it will encourage consumers to replace old energy consuming appliances with greener versions and stimulate the economy.BRC director general

The car scrappage scheme has reached the halfway point just three months after it was launched.The Department for Business Innovation and Skills announced that car manufacturers have taken 154,927 new car orders under the scheme between 23 April and 2 August. The scheme is available until March 2010 or until the money runs out and has the capacity to take 300,000 new cars under the original £300 million funding p

Organic Waste Management has started work on its innovative £15 million solid waste treatment facility in Cheshire.The mechanical biological treatment plant will serve Manchesters industrial commercial market to divert 180,000 tonnes of waste from landfill. The plant is the first in the UK to use the Bedminster technology to recover the hard recyclables and convert the residue to compost.OWM chairman Mike Brookes said: The technology is proven

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has seen its advertising costs increase by 1,400 per cent over the past three years.According to an investigation by the Metro newspaper, costs have risen from £570,000 to £8 million. In response, a Defra spokesman said: It is the Governments responsibil

The Environment Agency has written a letter to UK packaging producer compliance schemes to warn them to comply with their 2009 packaging waste obligations. Packaging chain companies are obliged to hold Packaging Recovery Notes, as evidence that their legal responsibility to recover and recycle has b

Switching to commingled collections does significantly increase recycling tonnages, according to Greenstar UK.The recycling firm discovered an average 78 per cent improvement in recycling tonnages across five local authorities which have switched to commingled collections. One local authority increased its tonnages by 190 per cent.Chief executive Ian Wakelin said: Greenstar collects recyclables from around 1.2

A renewable energy project by Scottish Borders Council will create enough green electricity to power more than 1,000 homes, while cutting annual carbon emissions by the equivalent of around 30,000 tonnes. The project, at Easter Langlee Waste Disposal site near Galashiels, Scotland, takes away the lo

The Scottish Government has launched its first ambitious zero waste plan (20 August).The draft plan details the steps Scotland needs to take on the journey towards a zero waste society and invites stakeholders to respond to its zero waste plan consultation. It proposes a number of approaches to reduce waste and increase recycling including:* A 25 per cent cap on municipal waste t

Consumers will have to pay more for their batteries because of the battery regulations, according to an industry expert.Recycling firm WasteCare chief executive Peter Hunt told MRW that manufacturers will have to increase the price of batteries to cover their collection and competitive costs.His comments come after the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published an advisory note entitled

Sita UK has designed and built a new £6 million waste management facility for Derbyshire County Council.The integrated plant, which Sita will also be operating, includes a household waste recycling centre, waste transfer station, a recyclate bulking facility. An in-vessel composting facility will be opened in 2010.The facility will take 20,000 tonnes of residual waste from the High Peak and Derbyshire Dales areas each year, which will be processed by the

The bosses of a Hartlepool-based skip hire firm Easy Skips (NE) have been ordered to hand over £234,393 after admitting waste offences.Easy Skips directors Andrew Benson and Kevin Brough pleaded guilty at Teeside Crown Court (19 August) to charges of controlled waste offences. The firms assets will have to be confiscated in order for them to pay the £234,393.The confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act is the second-highest achieved in an Environme

The body of a 23-year-old man was found in a textiles recycling bin in Guildford Surrey, on the morning of 18 August.The body was identified as James John Hubert Evans who was from the town. Police are not treating the death as suspicious.Mr Evans was discovered by a member of the public just before 5.30am at a bin in a leisure centre .The discovery lead to the police closing the car park and adjoining park-and-ride facility for

Thames Water has urged people not to throw food waste or cooking fat down toilets as part of a campaign called Bin it dont block it to stop sewer abuse.Thames Water chief operating officer Steve Shine said: This year alone we have had to deal with 55,000 blockages in London and the Thames Valley, resulting in flooding to 7,000 homes and gardens.The majority of blockages are caused by sewer abuse. This is when things like cooking fat, sanitary p

The worlds-first whiskey-fuelled biomass CHP plant is to be built in Scotland.The GreenSwitch CHP plant, which is capable of using wet biomass, will be powered using whiskey distillery by-products to create enough electricity for 9,000 homes.This £50m joint venture between Helius Energy and The Combination of Rothes Distillers (CoRD) called Helius CoRDE, will use by-products such as process water

Environmental consultant Entec has been reappointed by the Waste and Resources Action Programme to help deliver advice to local authorities.Entec will be responsible for advising on prevention, collection and recycling of municipal waste and replaces the existing ROTATE framework. It will also help develop training materials and deliver training courses and workshops.Entec asso

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